California is famous for its diversity, its eccentricity, and its
prophetic influence on popular culture. Since the 19th century, the
Golden State has also been one of America’s most fertile climates for
spiritual and religious movements. Beautifully weaving together text
and image, The Visionary State is the first book to address the full
story of “California consciousness.” Ranging from Yosemite to Esalen,
from televangelism to Neopaganism, from Mormon pioneers to
contemporary Kali worshippers, acclaimed culture critic Erik Davis
weaves together the threads of California’s religious history into an
enchanting and vivid tapestry. Michael Rauner’s haunting iconic
photographs ground the book’s many stories in the sacred landscape
and architecture of the Golden State. Together Davis and Rauner map
the peaks and faultlines that characterize the place that is both the
nexus and far frontier of American religion.